Ollie Watkins proved that you don’t need to have the ball for long to be influential in England’s Euro 2024 semi-final triumph over the Netherlands.
Substituted onto the pitch in Dortmund in the 81st minute, Ollie Watkins had only four touches of the ball. Yet one of those moments became the defining moment of his career—the goal that propelled England to the EURO 2024 final, marking their first major tournament final outside of their own country.
How old is Ollie Watkins?
28
His brief but decisive role earned him the Player of the Match title from UEFA technical observers Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Avram Grant, who commended not just the “excellent individual goal” against the Netherlands but also the “comprehensive impact” of the Aston Villa forward.
How Ollie Watkins’ Brief Stint Secured England’s Place in the EURO 2024 Final
England fans had been demanding that Gareth Southgate make substitutions earlier when a decisive goal was needed throughout the tournament. Many criticized him for either not having a plan B or failing to give it enough time to be effective.
When Harry Kane was substituted for Ollie Watkins—who had only played 20 minutes in the tournament before the semi-final—some fans were likely shouting, “Not that change!” at their screens.
The choice of Watkins over Ivan Toney might have seemed surprising because Toney had appeared to be Southgate’s preferred option in similar situations. Toney had played significant roles in the knockout stages, including a key header for Kane’s extra-time winner against Slovakia and a goal in the shootout against Switzerland.
Southgate’s decision to bring on Watkins with almost 10 minutes left in regular time, with the possibility of extra time and penalties looming, was a bold and unexpected move that likely unsettled some fans. It felt like a different side of Southgate was being revealed.
Just four touches later, Watkins became the hero for England.
From the moment he stepped onto the field, Watkins began to make his mark. He put intense pressure on the Netherlands’ center-backs and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as they tried to build play from the back.
Since the second half, the Netherlands had gained more control as England’s first-half dominance had faded. Watkins’ nine high-intensity pressures in just a few minutes were nearly as many as Bukayo Saka’s efforts in 92 minutes.
About a minute later, Watkins showed another sign of his impact by dropping a few yards before quickly turning and sprinting beyond the last defender, hoping for a long pass from John Stones. While the pass didn’t come, he successfully made the Netherlands defense adjust to a new type of threat.
In the 83rd minute, Watkins’ first touch saw him drop deep again, only to be dispossessed by the imposing Stefan de Vrij, who likely felt he had given the striker a firm welcome to the game.
Shortly after, De Vrij found himself scrambling back towards his own goal as Stones played the long pass he had previously missed, finding Watkins’ run. The defender managed to just get back in time to head the ball clear, but it was evident that Watkins’ runs were starting to make a difference.
A few moments later, Watkins was back to his deep-dropping role, connecting with Declan Rice twice in quick succession as England enjoyed a period of possession. Following this, he made a burst into the area, where Luke Shaw’s low cross narrowly missed his right foot, leaving the Dutch center-backs uncertain about their responsibilities.
Dropping deep and making runs in behind; dropping deep and going in behind. Watkins was effectively playing the “Hokey Cokey” with the Netherlands defense, and it was with his next run that his opportunity finally came.
England maintained their composure, moving the ball smoothly from the back and through the lines via Rice. His pass to Kobbie Mainoo was mishandled by the young midfielder, but the loose ball fell kindly to Cole Palmer. As soon as Palmer gained possession, Watkins, who was initially out of the attacking third, shifted into high gear.
In an instant, Watkins went from being behind De Vrij to sprinting past him, leaving the center-back in a desperate scramble as he looked over his right shoulder and saw Watkins already ahead.
Palmer showed patience before delivering a perfect pass between Nathan Aké and Virgil van Dijk, weighted just right for Watkins to chase down in the area.
Watkins’ speed proved too much for De Vrij, who could only apply minimal pressure as he trailed. With excellent control, Watkins nudged the ball across his body and took a decisive shot that slipped through De Vrij’s legs and found the bottom-left corner of the net.
Watkins didn’t touch the ball again, but that was the plan. He was introduced to stretch the Netherlands defense without needing possession, yet he had the clinical ability to seize the moment if an opportunity presented itself. And it did.
Four touches, one goal, one final. Ollie Watkins drops mic
Explaining why he sent Watkins on, England manager Gareth Southgate said: “We felt we needed some more legs up front. Harry [Kane] had taken a knock when he won the penalty in the first half. You know that Ollie can press a little better, and he will make those runs that are a problem for defenders early in a game but definitely later.”
In his 15 minutes on the pitch, Watkins made as many runs in behind as Kane did in 81 minutes, though Kane is a different type of striker who received the ball ten times between the lines, creating opportunities for others to make those runs. With Kane in the lineup, Phil Foden made 13 runs in behind and Jude Bellingham completed ten of his eventual 12.
Southgate spoke about “the mentality of the players who were all ready to deliver” and that certainly applied to both Watkins and Palmer. The match winner himself added: “I said to Cole Palmer we were both going to go on the pitch and he would set me up and it happened. You don’t get that opportunity very often and I had to be greedy and take the shot.” And, with it, stamp England’s ticket to the final.
